Tag: Eric Hitsman

The Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) has released an open letter urging select members of Carleton’s administration to carefully consider a threat to sanction the university. The Canadian Association of Undergraduate Teachers (CAUT), a governing body made up of 70,000 academic professionals from 122 different Canadian universities, is threatening to censure Carleton amid transparency concerns within the university’s governance. In January 2016, Carleton’s Board of Governors (BoG) amended its Code of Conduct to restrict members from sharing information discussed in board meetings with the Carleton community. According to Valerie Dufour, a CAUT spokesperson, the ruling violates the CAUT’S Openness and Transparency in Post-Secondary Education policy and led to the censure motion. Dufour equated potential censure to a boycott, where the CAUT […]

Four out of five of this year’s candidates in the Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) election are running for re-election, and all are uncontested. Eric Hitsman, Jenna Amirault, Debbie Owusu-Akyeeah, Jay Ramasubramanyam, and Taylor Howarth make up this year’s single slate: Grads United. Eric Hitsman, the current vice-president (operations) is running for president, while current president Debbie Owusu-Akyeeah is campaigning for Hitsman’s vice-president job. Hitsman said he wants to focus on keeping students involved, promote safe spaces for students and create opportunities for Indigenous representation. He added he also hopes to find solutions to the challenges brought by rising tuition fees, and to lobby for the establishment of a committee in Parliament to represent post-secondary students. David Thibodeau, the chief electoral […]

Four out of five of this year’s candidates in the Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) election are running for re-election, and all are uncontested. Eric Hitsman, Jenna Amirault, Debbie Owusu-Akyeeah, Jay Ramasubramanyam, and Taylor Howarth make up this year’s single slate: Grads United. Eric Hitsman, running for the role of GSA president, is the current vice-president (operations). He said he feels his current role has prepared him to take on more responsibility. “This role is not necessarily to take over . . . it’s about working with your team, your people,” he said. This year, Hitsman said he wants to focus on keeping students involved, promoting safe spaces for students and creating opportunities for Indigenous representation. He added he hopes […]

Graduate students voted in favour of increasing health plan costs and for next year’s student executives in elections on March 23. The referendum question was: “Are you in favour of either: A $70 increase in the annual premium for the graduate student health, dental, and accident insurance plan to keep the current benefits package OR a significant reduction in benefits offered under the graduate student health, dental, and accident insurance plan.” Seventy-three per cent of students voted in favour of increasing benefits, with 23 per cent voting for reduced benefits and four per cent spoiling or returning their ballots. Voter turnout in the referendum reached the Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) quorum of six per cent. In the executive elections, the […]

The Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) are gearing up for their 2016-17 elections with all executive positions running uncontested with the exception of the position of vice-president (operations), which has three people in the running. The voting days will be March 22 and 23, according to the GSA website. The dates coincide with the voting days for the GSA health plan referendum, which asks students ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ for annual increase of $70 to keep the current health, dental, and accident insurance plan coverage. Debbie Owusu-Akyeeah, the current co-ordinator of the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) Womyn’s Centre, is running for the position of president under the slate Grads United. The Grads United slate also includes Taylor Howarth, who is running […]